My Frugal Miser - July 2023 Expenses

July was a pleasantly frugal month.

• In June I paid the $250 annual fee on my United Quest credit card but then Chase offered a sweet deal to redeem miles to offset the fee, so I got that back as a statement credit.  I also paid the $49 annual fee for my IHG card.  That card comes with an annual free night (what a deal!) but I've heard the card is being discontinued and I'll have to pay more next year.
• The category where I splurged was food.  I almost always regret it when I spend too much on a restaurant meal.  I'm going to try harder in August to avoid overspending here.
• I made a mistake on my business taxes and paid an accountant $800 to fix it
• Personal care - in Vegas we got a foot massage.  I also prepaid for a 3-visit package to my local reflexologist.  It helps tremendously with my foot pain.

Fun

We love adventures.  Spending on experiences makes us better humans.  

• During our Las Vegas trip I won $300.  Plus rental car rates dropped from when I prepaid for our car and I received a refund when I rebooked the lower rate.  This was offset by my purchase of upgraded seats to First Class for our quick getaway.  Overall, this vacation was almost free.
• A friend visited us and we stopped by our local Hard Rock casino, where I won $485 in an hour playing blackjack.
• We pay for an AMC Unlimited plan.  

July Expenses:  income of  $145

$186 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

($201) Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards) income this month
$337 Clothing/ Personal Care
($111) Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets) income this month

$567 Food

$29 Health and Dental

$60 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($2,084) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$59 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$800 Taxes

$213 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - July 2023 Income

In July I kept making good progress.   Meeting work was slower as expected, but because I'm paid in arrears it doesn't look as slow as it actually was:  I only worked meetings 14 days in July, and much of that was at a lower than usual rate.  I received rent from both Birmingham rental properties and one Realty Mogul distribution.

July Income: $10,281

$7,400 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$0 Amazon Deliveries

$2,870 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $357)
$11 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  ($6,200)

My investments were down in July.  I took a substantial loss by selling my AMC bonds.  I did this after a judge ruled the company couldn't do a stock conversion/share issuance that is critical to raising needed cash to fund obligations.  I hope the very best for AMC - it's a great place to see a movie.  But the risk of the company running out of money in the next year increased substantially and was too risky for me.

My frugal Miser - June 2023 Expenses

 May was another expensive month.  Fortunately some of my spending was pre-paying for future expenses.

• I paid the $250 annual fee on my United Quest credit card and also paid a fee to use my card to pay quarterly taxes.
• I prepaid the water bill.  They don't charge a fee to pay by credit card and I was trying to reach a sign up bonus on a new credit card.
• Thanks to all my meeting work, many jobs provided a healthy per diem that went unused, so it's cash to me.  I often get to eat from the attendee meals.

Fun

We love adventures.  Spending on experiences makes us better humans.  

• I paid the balance for our September cruise and purchased an all-inclusive beach day excursion.
• I bought tickets for two shows when we visit Las Vegas this week.
• We pay for an AMC Unlimited plan.  
• I purchased a few IHG points due to a promotion.

June Expenses:  $6,197

$89 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$347 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$39 Clothing/ Personal Care
$1,549 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$160 Food

$64 Health and Dental

$265 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($2,230) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$9 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$5,151 Taxes

$892 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - June 2023 Income

 I closed out the first half of the year with a solid income mostly from working meeting jobs.  I worked meetings 27 days in June.  I received rent from both Birmingham rental properties.

June Income: $13,425

$0 Mystery Shopping/ Merchandising
$11,478 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$0 Amazon Deliveries

$1,945 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $450)
$2 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  $4,326

My investments were up just a bit in June.